LA sheriff's deputy being investigated for false report; cops say he made up sniper attack

This photo taken from video provided by KABC-TV shows a sheriff's department helicopter with a sniper in an open door searching for a reported gunman at large in Lancaster, Calif., on Aug. 21, 2019. The sheriff's office now says the deputy who said he was shot lied about the whole thing.(Photo: KABC-TV via AP)

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy who claimed he was shot by a sniper has been relieved of duty and faces charges of false reporting, after investigators say they believe he made the whole thing up.

Authorities said they believe Deputy Angel Reinosa, a 21, cut holes in his uniform shirt and faked an injury to support his report that a sniper shot him on Wednesday. Reinosa's calls for help prompted a massive police response to Lancaster, in northern L.A. County, with hundreds of officers, traffic closures and neighborhood disruption. Investigators said they had no indication of a possible motive for Reinosa to have made a false report.

“There was no sniper, no shots fired and no gunshot injuries sustained to his shoulder," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Capt. Kent Wegener during a Saturday night news conference.

Authorities said Reinosa told them he was shot in the chest, and his ballistic vest deflected the round into his shoulder. Investigators who followed up with him found no visible injuries, Wegener said. He also offered a "self-serving" statement about what happened but offered no other explanation, Wegener said.

Reinosa is now being investigated for “false report of an emergency,” Wegener said. Reinosa has been a deputy for about a year, police said.

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